The TOW Missile-Precise and Powerful by ProQuest

A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest LLC (“ProQuest”) supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience. More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others.

ARMY AL&T
The TOW Missile—
Precise and Powerful
Bill Ruta and C.L. “Claude” Higginbotham
“If there’s one weapon the insurgents don’t want to face in this fight, it is the
Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided [TOW] antitank missile launcher.
Accurate, powerful, and deadly, it is the biggest weapon in our platoon’s arsenal.
Some say the big wire-guided missile went out of fashion after we stopped
confronting enemies with heavy mechanized armor. I say otherwise: when it
comes to urban fighting, a TOW is a gift from the Pentagon gods.”
—House to House by SSG David Bellavia, 2nd Battalion (Bn),
2nd Infantry Regiment, regarding his time in Fallujah, Iraq,
with his Bradley Infantry squad.
A Soldier from Delta Co., 2nd Bn, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd BCT, 25th Infantry Division, assembles the ITAS TOW missile system
in Riyadh, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo by TSgt Maria J. Bare.)
JULY–SEPTEMBER 2009 29
ARMY AL&T
Since 1970, more than 650,000 TOW TOW is a relatively simple weapon and Army Space and Missile Defense
missiles have been produced. In the very reliable. It is also relatively inex- Command, numerous program
last 5 years of per- pensive compared to executive ofﬁces (PEOs), and major
sistent conﬂict, the many missile systems. components of the Defense Intelligence
U.S. Army and TOW is the world’s This combination of Agency and the Missile Defense
U.S. Marine Corps premier heavy anti- reliability, effective- Agency, to study the technical feasi-
(USMC) have ﬁred ness, and affordability bility of the emerging heavy antitank/
almost 9,500 TOW
armor and assault has made it a success- assault weapon system requirements
missiles. While there weapon system, ful weapon system for the Army. In 1964, the ﬁrst TOW
have been many consisting of crew- overall. Continuing Project Management Ofﬁce (PMO)
weapon systems TOW enhancements was established at Redstone. The ﬁrst
developed and pro- portable ground, provide an afford- TOW missile was ﬁelded in 1970.
duced over the last 4 vehicle-mounted, and able path to the
to 5 decades, TOW future of U.S. preci- For almost 45 years, Redstone’s TOW
helicopter-mounted
remains an extremely sion close combat PMO and its successors have been
effective weapon sys- launcher variants, and weapons. Almost 5 responsible for managing TOW devel-
tem, especially given 10 missile versions.